1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a contact means and more specifically to a contact means which is crimped to a flat conductor cable. The method of crimping the contact means to the cable is such that any tendency toward relaxation of the contact means after the crimping will not be detrimental to the electrical contact with the conductive layer which is produced by the crimping.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Flat conductor cable comprises a tape-like strip of suitable plastic in which there is embedded a layer of conductive material. Conductor cables of this type have been widely available for some years and have resulted in a wide variety of specialized types of connecting devices.
The prior art shows both crimp-type terminations for flat conductor cables and solder-type terminations. In many prior art devices, preparation of the cable by way of stripping of the insulation is necessary preparatory to the application of the terminal to the cable. In other devices, the connector is intended to pierce and be crimped through the insulation to make contact with the conductive layer within the cable. When utilizing the crimp-type termination with either stripped or pierced insulation, it has generally been recognized that the relaxation of the contact means after crimping might be detrimental to the electrical connection. This relaxation of the contact means has generally detracted from the overall desirability of the crimp-type terminations which are generally less expensive and easier to provide than the solder-type terminations.
One prior art contact means disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,381 fully recognizes this relaxation problem. Specifically, this prior art contact means has a channel or U-shaped cross-section comprising a web and upstanding sidewalls extending from the web. Lances are struck inwardly from the plane of the web such that in the final crimped connection, the conductor is pinched between the lances and the extended ends of the sidewalls which have been curled inwardly to pierce the insulating layer and make electrical contact with the conductive layer. The relaxation of the sidewalls is generally compensated by the spring action of the lances to minimize the likelihood that the relaxation will be detrimental to the electrical connection. However, the cross-sectional area of reliable electrical contact is limited to those points where the ends of the sidewalls and the lances intersect. Although some electrical contact with the conductive layer is indicated at the base of the sidewalls, there is nothing disclosed to indicate or ensure its reliability. Therefore, the amount of current to be reliably passed from the conductive layer to the contact means is limited by the cross-sectional area at these points of intersection.